Does eating burnt food cause cancer? Can you still enjoy eating skewers?

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Benzo[a]pyrene is a type of carcinogen. Grilling food at high temperatures does produce benzo[a]pyrene, and the higher the temperature, the more benzo[a]pyrene is produced.

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The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) assessed that the amount of benzopyrene consumed by humans through diet is of little concern to health.

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The benzopyrene and heterocyclic amines in grilled food are much less than those in a cigarette.

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Barbecue food is not healthy, and from a nutritional point of view, it is not recommended to eat too much.

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Paying attention to food diversity and a balanced diet in daily life can effectively reduce possible health risks.

It’s the season for barbecue again. After get off work, find a barbecue restaurant, call a few friends, order some barbecue and have a few bottles of beer. It’s so relaxing.
However, there has always been a saying that when eating skewers, burnt food will produce harmful substances, which can cause cancer if eaten.
Is this true? Does burnt food really cause cancer? Can you still enjoy eating skewers?
Does burnt food produce harmful substances?
I am sorry to tell you that burning food under high temperature does produce some harmful substances.
The two most common ones are benzopyrene and heterocyclic amine.

PAHs

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH or PAHs), also known as polycyclic aromatic compounds or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, is a very large family with more than 100 members, the most famous of which is benzopyrene.

Benzopyrene, also known as benzo(a)pyrene, is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with five benzene rings. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies benzopyrene as a group 1 carcinogen (it has been clearly identified as a carcinogen to humans).

Grilled food, including grilled chicken legs, can produce carcinogens such as benzopyrene at high temperatures. Benzopyrene in grilled food products mainly comes from the thermal reaction of fat. Fat will produce benzopyrene when the temperature exceeds 200 degrees, and the higher the temperature, the more benzopyrene is produced.

Heterocyclic amines

Polycyclic amines (HCA or HCAs), also known as heterocyclic amines, have certain teratogenic and carcinogenic properties.

Several factors contribute to the formation of HCA: food type, cooking method, temperature and time.

1. Food types: cooked meats and other sources of protein (milk, eggs, tofu, organ meats such as liver).

2. Cooking methods: The highest levels of HCAs are produced when meat is cooked at extremely high temperatures during frying, pan-frying, and grilling.

3. Temperature and time: When meat or other foods are boiled, roasted or fried, the higher the temperature, the more polycyclic amines are produced. Conversely, the lower the temperature, the less polycyclic amines are produced. The amount of polycyclic amines depends on the temperature at which the food is cooked.

Can I still eat barbecue with confidence?

What everyone is most concerned about is whether they can still enjoy the skewers.
When food is burnt, it must have been burned at very high temperatures. The protein, fat, and carbohydrates in food can easily generate benzopyrene and heterocyclic amines at high temperatures, and the higher the temperature and the longer the time, the more carcinogens are generated.
Therefore, from the perspective of nutrition and health, it is recommended that you try not to eat or eat less barbecued food, especially avoid eating food that is burnt too much (besides, it doesn’t taste good).

However, this does not mean that eating barbecue will definitely cause cancer, nor does it mean that barbecue should not be eaten at all.
First of all, although benzopyrene and heterocyclic amines in barbecue are carcinogenic, this is only the strength of the evidence and does not mean that eating a little barbecue will definitely cause cancer.
In fact, the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) assessed that the amount of benzopyrene consumed by humans through diet is of little concern to health[3].
Secondly, the amount of benzopyrene and heterocyclic amines produced by barbecue is not much. You should know that the carcinogens in barbecued food are much less than those in smoking a cigarette.
Therefore, grilled and burnt foods are not as scary as the legend says, and it is okay to eat them in moderation.

How to reduce benzopyrene in barbecue?
As long as you pay attention to the proper method, you can also reduce the benzopyrene in grilled food.
First of all, the grilling time should not be too long or the temperature should not be too high. Food should also be kept away from flames, and the heat source should preferably be above.

When grilling, when food is in direct contact with fire, a large amount of oil will drip into the fire and burn, producing smoke. The resulting benzopyrene will adhere to the surface of the food. When the food is far away from the fire, less oil will drip, and there will be much less benzopyrene. Therefore, when grilling, try to remove the smoke. For example, you can raise the grill or directly fan the smoke away.
Someone has done an experiment. When grilling sausages, if the sausages are in contact with fire, the benzopyrene content in the finished product is 10.7 micrograms per kilogram; if the grill is raised and the sausages are 5 centimeters away from the fire, then this value will drop to 0.67.

Second, choose foods that produce less benzopyrene.
Generally speaking, chicken, pork and other meats and fish produce more benzopyrene and heterocyclic amines when grilled, while eggs, tofu and vegetables produce less benzopyrene and heterocyclic amines. Therefore, when grilling, don't just eat meat, eat some vegetables as well.
In addition, try to choose foods that are baked with the skin, such as sweet potatoes, corn with skin, bivalve and unpeeled crustaceans, because the skin can prevent benzopyrene from penetrating, so you can just peel it when eating. If you wrap it in a layer of tin foil when baking, it is also very convenient.
Finally, when eating barbecue, you should also pay attention to a balanced and diverse diet, such as adding some vegetables and fruits, which can also reduce possible risks.

Reinik M, Tamme T, Roasto M, et al. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in meat products and estimated PAH intake by children and the general population in Estonia[J]. Food Additives and Contaminants, 2007, 24: 429-437.

WHO. WHO Food Additives Series 28 – Benzo[a]pyrene. Geneva: WHO; 1991.

Huang Shuhai, Ge Xianmin, Tang Junhao, et al. Contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mainstream smoke of domestic cigarettes[J]. Journal of Environment and Health, 2006, 23(1): 46-48.

Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety. Barbecue and Food Safety.